Tom Gable, Director of Race & Sports at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, provides our readers with insider tips and strategies for making the most of their sports betting ventures. This week, Tom is setting expectations for the 2020 World Series and rounding up everything you need to know about the two competing teams.
The 2020 World Series match up is set and will feature the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in a best of 7 game series. The World Series this year will be played on a neutral field in Texas with limited fans in attendance due to the ongoing pandemic. Unlike the National League Championship Series and American League Championship Series, where there were no days off for the players, the World Series will have a day off (or two depending on the length of the series) between games.
Borgata opened the World Series betting by listing the Dodgers as -200 favorites to win, meaning you would have to wager $200 to win $100 if you wanted to bet the Dodgers. Keep in mind, that pricing for the World Series winner constantly changes and there are opportunities if one team goes down a game or two in the series, to get a better price. This happened in the National League Championship Series when the Dodgers, who were heavy series favorites before the NLCS began against the Braves, found themselves down 2-0 after two games. The odds flipped at that point to make the Braves the favorite to win the series. If you had a conviction that the Dodgers would come back and win the series (which they obviously did), you could get them at a great price and really make some money if you bet them to win. Let’s now take a look at this match-up between LA and Tampa Bay.
The Tampa Bay Rays come into the World Series after defeating the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. The Rays had to sweat it out after winning the first 3 games of the series and then losing the next 3 and having to go to a decisive 7th game. But they came out on top and are looking to win their first World Series title. The Rays feature very good pitching led by Charlie Morton, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow and also have one of, if not the best, bullpens in all of baseball. It is going to be a classic match-up to see those pitchers go up against one of the most dangerous batting line-ups in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers can score a lot of runs (see game 3 of the NLCS when they scored a record 11 runs in the first inning) and feature a line-up that includes former MVP’s and a number of All Stars, such as Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and Joc Pederson. While the Rays probably have the edge in the pitching match-up, don’t sleep on the Dodgers pitching staff.
Borgata will be offering some great wagering options on the World Series, from individual games to series pricing to a number of prop bets throughout. You can place your World Series wagers at the Borgata Race and Sportsbook, BetMGM Sportsbook and Bar, or online at Borgatasports.com.